It was somewhere in mid-October that Sujata asked me if I would be interested in travelling to Bangalore for a Children’s Literature Festival called Kathavana, hosted by the Azim Premji University. I have never ever travelled for work purposes of any sort ever and this was a bolt from the blue. Of course my default reaction was to say a No as I had children and a dog and house to think of with no backup whatsoever. But then Sujata dangled a carrot that I could take my younger one as a volunteer to the festival and this clinched the deal. I was a bit worried if my daughter would accept this. But as I spoke to her, she was super excited and went ahead and declared to all that she is attending a Children’s festival. I was totally in a planning zone and planned and planned, at work and at home. I was a bit tensed throughout as I was not sure how this girl would cope up with the travel and helping for our activity centers and would she throw temper tantrums and sulk? But I am sure all mothers underestimate their children and mollycoddle them and assume that their children will buckle down under duress. Throughout the entire trip, not once did my daughter grumble, throw a temper tantrum or even utter the three dreaded words, ‘I’m bored’. She travelled, adjusted, helped carry luggage, clicked selfies, blabbered and stayed happy and joyful and excited throughout. As a mother-daughter duo, we re-bonded and hugged each other and huddled against each other many times during this trip. She did not volunteer with me for the festival day but I know she must have shined brightly in the other activity center and come out as pure gold. As much as I was tensed at the beginning, I realized that I should definitely have more confidence in my own child and she has made me proud with how she carried herself throughout this trip.
